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Michael Wolff
Michael Wolff (b. 27 Aug 1953) is an author, essayist, and journalist who currently writes a regular column for Vanity Fair. He is the author of The Man Who Owns the News, a biography of Rupert Murdoch which is based on more than 50 hours of interviews with the media mogul. Wolff appeared as a guest commentator on the 5 July 2011 edition of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, discussing the reactions in Britain to the news that News of the World, a tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch, hacked into the voicemail of kidnapped 13-year-old Milly Dowler, who was later found dead, and deleted several messages, potentially interfering with the investigation, as well as the discovery that the same publication hacked into the voicemails of several other abducted women and the voicemails of relatives of "a handful" of the victims of the 2005 7/7 bombings. On the 6 July 2011 edition, he discussed David Cameron's announcement that the British Parliament intends to conduct an investigation into the actions of Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which bribed police for information used to hack into and alter the voicemails of murder and terrorism victims while top NewsCorp executives, including James Murdoch, covered up the criminal behavior. On the 7 July 2011 edition, he discussed the announcements that former News of the World editor Andy Coulson will be arrested on the morning of July 8th and the tabloid itself will cease publication after its July 10th edition following in the wake of the revelation that News of the World hacked into and tampered with the voicemails of abduction, murder and terrorism victims, as well as James Murdoch's continued defense of Rebekah Brooks. On the 8 July 2011 edition, he discussed the arrests of Andy Coulson and Clive Goodman for their involvement in the News of the World phone-hacking scandal and the possibility that James Murdoch may be charged by the Justice Department in the United States, as well as the delay in Rupert Murdoch's acquisition of British Sky Broadcasting. On the 11 July 2011 edition, he discussed the revelation that agents of Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp hacked into the records of Prime Minister Gordon Brown to steal personal medical information about his children, as well as bribing royal guards and tapping into the phones of Prince Charles and Camilla, and the possibility that victims of the Nine-Eleven attacks and their families were targeted as well. On the 12 July 2011 edition, he discussed the revelation that NewsCorp employees bribed British police to follow public figures by tracking their cellphones, as well as the announcement that Rupert Murdoch's acquisition of British Sky Broadcasting will be blocked. On the 13 July 2011 edition, he discussed the withdrawal of Murdoch's bid to purchase British Sky Broadcasting, and the admission by Christopher Bancroft that he would not have sold the Wall Street Journal to Murdoch if he had known then what he knows now, as well as the possibility that Murdoch may sacrifice his own son, James Murdoch, to protect himself. On the 14 July 2011 edition, he discussed the announcement that the FBI will investigate whether Murdoch's employees hacked into the phones of Nine-Eleven victims and the arrest of Neil Wallis, a former deputy editor of the News of the World who went on to work in public relations with Scotland Yard, and guest commentator John Dean discussed Murdoch's financial support for the Chamber of Commerce, which campaigned to weaken the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits American companies from bribing foreign officials. On the 15 July 2011 edition, he discussed the resignations of Rebekah Brooks and Les Hinton, Parliament's preparations for the testimony of Rupert and James Murdoch next Tuesday, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal's repudiation of the News of the World's practices, Murdoch's apology to the family of Milly Dowler, and Eric Holder's confirmation that the Department of Justice will investigate Murdoch's corporate enterprises in the United States. On the 18 July 2011 edition, he discussed the arrest of Rebecca Brooks, the resignations of Scotland Yard chief Paul Stephenson and assistant commissioner John Yates, and the mysterious death of journalist and News of the World whistleblower Sean Hoare Appearances * 5 July 2011 edition * 6 July 2011 edition * 7 July 2011 edition * 8 July 2011 edition * 11 July 2011 edition * 12 July 2011 edition * 13 July 2011 edition * 14 July 2011 edition * 15 July 2011 edition * 18 July 2011 edition Wolff, Michael Wolff, Michael